Museums as Playgrounds

There are two kinds of museums you can visit with your kids: those with “children’s” in the name and those without. Children’s museums are the fastest growing cultural institutions in the world, according to Janet Rice Elman, executive director of the Association of Children’s Museums in Washington, D.C.

But just because a museum isn’t designed specifically for children, don’t assume it isn’t kid-friendly. Most museums have education departments that develop special programs to help kids (and parents) enjoy their visits.

The best museums for children are highly interactive. Their mantra is “Please Touch.” Children’s museums, usually designed for kids from 18 months to 12 years of age, have a wide range of hands-on exhibits and activities under one roof to accommodate siblings of different ages. However, even “adult” museums have developed hands-on exhibits. The Art Institute of Chicago, one of the pioneers in developing kids’ programs, has a “Touch Gallery,” where kids can explore sculptures with their hands as well as their eyes. Originally developed for visually-impaired visitors, the Touch Gallery lets kids get a better sense of different materials, textures, and shapes than they could with their eyes alone.

Different strokes for different kids

Babies like bold, colorful exhibits. They enjoy recognizing shapes and animals and like to climb on small-scale models of things they see around their neighborhoods, like fire trucks, cars, and buses.

• Children get the Dr. Seuss illusion at the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose, CA
• Todd Dailey

Toddlers and preschoolers love to play make-believe. They like to emulate their parents by pretending to shop for groceries and cook meals. Dressing up in costumes and uniforms is also fun for them. Victoria J. Youcha of Zero to Three, an organization devoted to infant and toddler development, says that natural history museums, with their dinosaur bones, stuffed animals, and insects can be appropriate for children as young as two. When visiting art museums, Youcha advises parents to “choose exhibits a child can relate to—bright Calder mobiles, fanciful tea sets, or photo-realist cars.” Until your child can read, read the artwork descriptions to them, elaborating more about pieces that pique their interest.